The sun., 1887-11-17


nor periodicals existed, tho stage was
the readiest means of publishing opin-
ions on any subject. Bacon intended
iy his plays to incnlcate advanced
opinions on any sntjects-reforms in
law, statecraft, manners, natural phil
osophy and religion. The days were
dangerous. Men were liable to be
imprisoned, tortured, slain even, for
their opinions and beliefs. The theo
ry is, therefore, that Bacon then
adopted the method OF the ancient>
(which he himcelf expornds and com
mendsl. and, clothing himself in the
humble weed OF The poor player, be
poured ont to ears, many Of which
hearing heard not, the thoughts and
aspirations of his myriad mind.
But to return to the oircnmstantial
evidence bearing on tho subject.
There are no manuscripts Oft the plays
eXtant. 1t is said that the copies of
their parts were supplied to The aetnrs
by the manager. Shakespeare, in his
own handwriting, and "wlth, Ut Il
hlot,' fact which is ta MY mind
strongly against his authorship; for
n busy and prolific composer does not
ii he can help it, write fair copies for
distribution, and certainly not with,
out alienation or blot.
But is the character AMI career of
the nun himself an Indication that he
was the author!
IL we hail NJ know lelge or recoi d
of him, it would be better for lis rt :
pUteo title to the authorship; us it is.
we know just enough of What manner
of man he Was to find great difficulty
in recognizing the possibility of his
having produced such learned. ele.
CANT and varied masterpieces rs those
| which bear \ colorable imitation os
his name.
The history of his life so far as it is
known. is very shortly as follow:
Born at Strl;ford on Avon in 1854.
the son of John Shakespeare, butcher.
wool stanlrr or glover; his mother.
Mary Arden. of peasant family; neith-
er parent of any reputed ability or
s.rnins. Supposed TO have been for
Il short time at the Stratford gram
m II school,; but there is no authentic
evidence of even this short period OF
tuition. There is also Il tradition that
he became a country schoolnaster
and legal critics, despite of any tradi-
ton. are sure that he was once en-.
ployed in lawyers Office; but no
hint Of his having become rem ,rkable
in either capacity, and both stories
seem to be rather an Inference from
the legal and other large knowledge
and learning apparent in the plays
than based on any real record or ira.
dition.
lie married ut eighteen. There
| are local traditions that he followed
his fathers trade as butcher, and
used to make fine speech before kill
ing calf: of his having been in the
habit of drinking at pot-houscs and
clubs, hunting conys for amusement
and poaching in the neighhorhocd
until Sir Thomas Lucy, the resident
| squire, after more Than usually ag
graved case of poachiag by him, pros.
ecuted him. The result being that he
soon after left Stratfo:d, and went il,
| 1857 to London. There he is reported
to have made his living for time by
holding horses at the Globe Theater
then working his way into situation
inside the theater. and then coming
by degrees, to be employed as a ''ss,
per-" and walking" or utility gen
! tleman."
Now the commencement os the
| phenomena. A few Years after his
arrival in London appeared th. poem
| Venus and AGonis, dedicated to the
young Earl of Southampton, frienf
of Bacon, whom Shakespeare coui,
hardly have known, unless from hold
ing his horse at the door Of the thea
| ter.
/ Disregarding its subject, it is ont
of the most elegant pieces OF rh-tor
ical poetry that English literature
has produced to this day. Such a PRO
duction from a young countryman-
schoolmaster, If you please-w h,
could only have known the Warwick
shire dialect, had hal little oppor;un
ity for refined study of the Englis!
language. and who had been earring
his bread by holding horses, and was
now engaged in a minor capacity in
side thearer, would, I think an
justified in saying. have been not On
ly phenomenon but a miracle. Sons
Of the sonnets, very finished produc
tions, also appeared, and some Of tht
earliest plays are also supposed, BY
some of the critics, to have seen ttt
light about this time.
| Continued to next weekly